Starting a new life

[ChTTay]

It sounds like you should organise a Chinese Forums Harbin meet up 2014!!

The Beijing ones have been great.

[JudithO]

Hi People! I been a littl busy these days so sorry for no reply!

 

First of all Welcome Natalie! Nice to meet you!♥  Are you going to be in Harbin for a long stay or short one?

 

Anne you hit it! KTV! I love it, though I don't know many chinese songs, but I can sing japanese ones! lol 

 

 

 

PD: I'm very excited to get there and at the same time terrified XD 

[JudithO]

Chttay I just saw your message, that is a great Idea! It seems like fun!

[Sherry Lee]

Hi, I'm working in Harbin Institue of Technology (HIT) .

If you want to know more information about Harbin. You can talk to me.

I hope you could help me improve my English. 

But when will you come Harbin?

[ChTTay]

Not sure why Sherry was downvoted, so I upvoted.

You've got a native speaker, from Harbin, responding to a thread with many people asking questions and for help with Harbin, and they are offering to help.

Yes, there is a mention of improving English... But if I'd just arrived, a friend and language exchange partner seems pretty good to me too.

If someone is just looking for a free English class then that may be different but let's not assume eh?

[Shelley]

@ChTTay maybe because of this; http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/46584-a-harbin-native-speaker/

 

Maybe not all is as it first seems? Might be way off here, but you never know.

[ChTTay]

That topic was started a little bit after the above.

Also, in both posts it looks to me like they just want a language exchange.

Nothing says 'welcome to the forums' like getting your first post downvoted!

[EmilyP]

I hadn't even realised that you could downvote/upvote posts on here! 

It's great to see that so many other Expats and international people will be in Harbin - a meet up would be great!

Does anyone know of any good vegetarian places at all? Or has anyone had any experience with being Vegetarian in China? I know that it's definitely not as popular there as some Western countries. I've been Veggie since I was 14 (I'm 25 now) so would really like to continue when I'm over there, but know that I have to be understanding of different cuisines and cultures and it might be a bit harder! 

I should be flying out in 2 weeks, heading to the Chinese embassy with my documents for my Z Visa in a few days, excited/terrified! 

[ChTTay]

Generally, China has a really good range of vegetable dishes and a big variety of different flavours and styles. I find all the green vegetables here especially good. I also like the 'chinese greens' that i've not seen before coming here.

I would say, It's hard to survive here as a Vegetarian unless you are willing to "compromise" a bit sometimes. For instance, my friend would eat out in a group. A vegetable dish might have meat in it, in which case he'd just eat the veggies and avoid the meat. He would go to hot pot, where people would put meat in the hot pot, and just not eat it himself. Often in restaurants, you can order a vegetable dish and even ask to check it doesn't have meat in it...then it comes with a nice sprinkling of pork mince mixed in.

Overall, he had a fine time here and lived in not a very western city for one year. I know a few vegetarians in Beijing, where vegetarian restaurants exist, and they struggle a bit because they aren't willing to be as flexible as my friend was.

[EmilyP]

Thanks ChTTay for the info, glad to hear your friend survived a year and enjoyed it whilst still being vegetarian. I'm really interested and excited at the prospect of trying new vegetable dishes, it'll be nice to experience something other than the regular meals I cycle through at home. I thought it might be the case of compromising, I had heard too that most of the stuff is cooked in Pork fat too even if you ask for just vegetables. I imagine that I'll be ok with picking out parts of meat from vegetable dishes, I guess it's all part of the experience. My main reason for being vegetarian is mainly as I'm a squeamish person and have grown up around a lot of animals, but I appreciate completely that it's part of human nature to eat them so I'm not fussy about being around it, I'd just prefer to not eat it if I am able to have the choice. Do you know if it's easy to buy tofu and vegetarian food/local vegetables for cooking at home? I imagine I'll try and do that quite a lot to save money too.

[ChTTay]

Its very, very easy to buy tofu (many different kinds) and vegetables.

I particularly like 'tofu skin' 豆腐皮 which i'd never heard of before coming to China.

It sounds like you have the right attitude for being a vegetarian in China too.

[EmilyP]

That's great, 'Tofu skin' sounds really interesting, can't wait to try it! Where are you from originally? 

[ChTTay]

There are even different kinds of tofu skin... I prefer the one that has tiny little squares on it (or looks like that). That's usually the most common too. If you plan on and like to cook, you should definitely experiment with cooking Chinese food at home. I find Chinese websites are better but there are some good English sites out there.

From the UK.

Good luck in Harbin anyway.

[Demonic_Duck]

豆腐皮 Tofu skin

 

I disagree, though. I like the wrinkled-looking one better. Very succulent.

 

There's also 腐竹 ("Tofu bamboo"?) Also rather succulent, at least when tender.

[abcdefg]

If you plan on and like to cook, you should definitely experiment with cooking Chinese food at home.

 

Another vote for doing at least some cooking at home. In addition to being healthy, tasty, and cheap, it will give you something to talk about with local friends. Regional ingredients and dishes can help you get a feel for what makes this place different from others; they can help you "belong" somewhere.

 

In particular, I find it fun to become familiar with one of the traditional wet markets near where you live, Meat and produces are fresher, often arriving straight from the farm the same day, instead of having been prepackaged and sitting on the supermarket shelf for days.

 

I've started a new China life three times: Once in Zhuhai (Guangdong,) then Harbin, finally Kunming. Tried Beijing, but had trouble breathing the air, so crossed it off my list.

[Nataliebb]

Hi Judith!

I'll be in Harbin for at least 6 months. I'm also ethnically Chinese so I can speak Mandarin fluently. But would be nice to meet some English speakers too. Most my my friends in China tend to be situated in Shanghai and Beijing so its a little lonely in Harbin.

When will you arrive in Harbin?

[Nataliebb]

Hi Emily, just read your post on being vegetarian in China. Its definitely a lot cheaper to eat vegetarian. However, I think theres a compromise as in restaurants they might use the same wok that fried meat to fry veg (as an example only) so theres a risk of cross contamination. My aunt is a buddhist and shes stopped eating out in China altogether.

For cheap food in Harbin I suggest the student/university areas. TBH Harbin has a lower living cost than other major cities, their portion size is a lot bigger too. A lot of Korean inspired food as well.

I'll be in Harbin next week, I heard its snowed already so definitely packing all my warm stuff...

[AnneK]

There were indeed snow flurries yesterday.  Today was just cold.  I'm looking forward to winter, I just wish it could be snowy and warm at the same time.  Looking forward to meeting you guys in person if possible.

[grawrt]

@ EmilyP, there is ONE vegetarian restaurant in Harbin. Go to the Buddist temple and the restaurant is right there. It's so hidden and small but the food is pretty good.

 

I would just make your own food if I were you. Much easier and healthier, plus you know what you're putting in your meals.

[Remigio_De_Abaragine]

Hello all, I am Ramiro. I am from Spain and I have been living in Harbin since August, I am studying at HIT. Now here it is like winter in my hometown, but i have bought really good and cheap stuff here and I think I will survive the winter. To do a meeting here sounds really good for me, and to go out some day KTV, or some drinks could be a good idea to. Sujeto did not answer since many time ago, so I think that he came back to Venezuela. If need some help just ask me, in two months I have get lost so many times and I had discover many Places. To the people arriving in november, this place it is really cool, I am really enjoing it so, good trip and I hope to see you here!